<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Visalia, CA</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Eric Anderson<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">4.9.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Former executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus, Ken Keck, will take the reins as President of the California Citrus Research Board on June 1.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Keck will replace Ted Batkin who has served as CRB president since 1993. He will retire in September.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Keck will assume control as California citrus growers continue to invest in research to aid the state’s more than $2-billion citrus industry, and combat insect threats including the Asian citrus psyllid.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">This won’t be the first time Keck has taken on the citrus greening disease, and that fact played a role in his selection, said Chairman Earl Rutz. <img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/citrus-story-april-2013.jpg" alt="images040813" />“As an industry, we are facing some serious threats, most notably the continued spread of the Asian citrus psyllid and identification of HLB in our state,” Rutz said. “It’s a complex and challenging time, but we believe Ken has the skills to take us forward.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> “I know what it feels like to have your livelihood threatened, and I want to use this understanding - and my experiences in Florida - to benefit the California industry,” Keck said.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">He served as general counsel and executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus from 2006-2012 and as the organization’s director of government affairs and general counsel from 2002-2006. He was the director of legislative and regulatory affairs with Florida Citrus Mutual from 1999-2002.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> “We thank Ted for his tremendous leadership and efforts on behalf of California citrus growers,” said Earl Rutz, CRB chairman. “And while there are big shoes to fill, we believe Ken’s track record, enthusiasm, and alignment with the perspective of California growers will make him an excellent asset to the CRB.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.citrusresearch.org/" target="_new">California Citrus Research Board</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
